


4 Times Mario Worries About Bowser Jr., and 1 Time It's Fine

by jewelcrow



Category: Paper Mario: The Origami King, Super Mario & Related Fandoms
Genre: 5 Times, Established Relationship, M/M, No beta we die like mne, but really its a four plus one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25721839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jewelcrow/pseuds/jewelcrow
Summary: Shangri-Spa was supposed to be relaxing. Even with the stress of the Green Streamer hanging overhead, Mario expected it to just be another quick adventure and battle with a paper tool. He was not expecting to baby sit Bowser's kid, who was even harder to control than Bowser.
Relationships: Koopa Jr | Bowser Jr &: Mario, Koopa | Bowser/Mario, Mario & Olivia
Comments: 2
Kudos: 92





	4 Times Mario Worries About Bowser Jr., and 1 Time It's Fine

**Author's Note:**

> I recently finish Origami King and wanted to write again. Here's some word vomit for a pairing I like to get my writing brain working again. This work is titled "You're *Not* Allowed To Ask Me About This" in my drafts. It's not really a five plus one, it's like a four and a half plus one, but I really wanted to do this fic in this style. The first couple versions kept getting bogged down in long descriptions of in-game events exactly as they happened. I really like established Bowser and Mario, and I like having Mario deal with the whirlwind that is Bowser Junior. So. Here. Don't ask me. I don't really know either and I don't give a damn.

“Daaad!” 

Mario turned. Junior had a distinctive voice.

Kamek sighed in relief. “Oh! It’s the Young Master, Bowser Junior.!” He turned to Olivia, explaining. “I’ve never been so happy to see Lord Bowser’s devilish spawn come flying recklessly out of nowhere in his flying clown car.”

Mario frowned. Kamek backpedalled slightly, turning to Olivia.

“Because we might be able to use that very clown car to reach the cloud, you see?”

Mario saw the scissors coming a second too late. Still, he leapt for Junior, trying vainly to get him out of the way.

The scissors shut with the sound of paper tearing and metal sliding on metal. And then they were gone, almost faster than Mario had seen them.

Mario stared in open horror as the pieces of Junior drifted to the ground listlessly.

He was so, so screwed.

* * *

Standing at the fork in the road, Mario worried for a moment before making up his mind. Kamek was right. Kamek was usually right. Even if it disappointed Junior, he would follow Kamek and get them to the last spring.

“Aw, what gives?” Junior pouted, rolling himself up.

Mario sighed internally, resigning himself to a lengthy amount of time trying to make it up to him. 

The Macho Chain Chomp was horrifying, chasing them up and down the length of the jungle tree. Mario dragged Junior by the kerchief out of range of the teeth, heart hammering in his chest. Junior blew a raspberry as they swung away on the vine.

The kid was worse than his father.

* * *

Kamek screamed.

Junior just sighed. “I don’t feel great.”

Mario winced, staring at the lineart of Junior. Not good. Bowser had spent a good chunk of coin on that paint job… And it was wrecked under Mario’s care… This day was getting worse by the minute. Every terrible minute spent in charge of Junior.

“I don’t have the energy to fight… or even to complain about not having the energy to fight…”

Mario bit back a groan. Not good.

* * *

Coming back from Kamek’s room after everyone had vanished was… unsettling. All the shadow people, the hand, the-

The great room was empty. Mario shivered. He surveyed the chaos nervously, hoping someone would call out. But nobody did.

He mounted the stairs and found Junior gone too, the clown car lying empty on the other side of the door.

Doubling down on his previous statement- Not. Good. He had to fix this, fast.

Getting back Olivia was a breeze, the handaconda wiped out in a game of rock, paper, scissors. Scissors. Yuck.

They went through the doors, Mario barely paying attention until-

“Look out!”

He jumped. Bowser’s warning gave him just a hair of clearance from the Scissor blades snapping shut.

Bowser, of course, immediately noticed. “I get credit for that!”

Mario snorted. He couldn’t help it. He was amused- still ready to fight the Scissors, but amused- until the buzzy beetle fell. A paper mistake. Kamek’s face was on the front. He could faintly hear Junior coming from it.

He felt sick, staring at it. It was covered in people’s faces, coated all over. He shuddered. 

Not. Good.

* * *

Mario breathed a sigh of relief when they got Bowser down from the clothespin. 

“We’ve been wrangling Junior all day. All day.”

Bowser looked around, still folded up. “He seems fine. Good job.”

Mario resisted the urge to pat Bowser on the fold. He wouldn’t enjoy it, especially if Mario told him how adorably pocket sized he was right now.

“He’s a menace.”

“He  _ should _ be a menace,” Bowser laughed, smoke curling from his barely-visible nostrils. “He’s mine!”

Mario gave in, patting Bowser. “It was terrible. I deserve compensation.”

Bowser glanced at him, clearly at war between indignant and amused. He settled for indignant. “Did you just pet me?”

Mario looked at where his hand was still patting Bowser on the fold. “Maybe.”

Olivia looked floored. “You can  _ talk _ ???”

Mario shrugged, suddenly nervous.

Bowser surged forward, covering. “Origami girl! You wanna fight your brother? I’ll get you up there. I have a few things to prepare. Follow me! To the supply closet!”

“You can talk? Mario, this whole time I thought you just… I don’t know! Couldn’t?”

Mario hummed awkwardly. It was… complicated. 

A shy guy darted up to them. “Lord Bowser asked me to relay a short message: Hurry up and get to the supply closet! You’re letting a guy who’s walking with his face walk faster than you!”

Mario chuckled, letting Olivia slip into his overalls again and setting off. He knew which supply closet- the one Bowser let slip he hid all his friend’s and family’s birthday presents in. He was slightly too eager to peek inside.

Buzzy beetle statues stared down. Slightly more intimidating, after the encounter with the paper mistake. 

“This is a highly confidential area! That’s why I had this security system installed. No one gets in unless I say so!” Bowser flushed. “To get into the back room, you just have to… um… do… something with those pillars. It definitely involves pillars!”

Mario nodded, quickly shifting the pillars as he realized it was a laser grid. A puzzle bowser would figure out if he wasn’t just a face.

“Bwahaha!. Should’ve known you’d figure it out.. I’ll have to find a new hiding spot for- things… Anyway, follow me.”

Mario followed him through the back door.

They crashed into the volcano. It was terrible, and hot, and Junior’s clown car was wrecked. Luckily, he didn’t look too upset.

“Dad! You’re okay!”

Mario wanted to echo the sentiment, but… well. Bowser knew. They started up the inside of the volcano. 

It was a mad dash, mache goombas sprinting up the path. They lost Kamek. 

Mario kept tugging Junior along, ensuring he didn’t do something stupid like tackle them himself.

“Yah!” Junior wriggled free, leaping into the crowd. “I’ve been waiting for a good fight. Bring it on, freaks!

Mario yelled, surprising himself. The goombas surged upwards, and he ran.

They crested the top, Bowser just barely blocking off the storm of goombas with a fireball.

“Bowser…” Mario started nervously. “Junior-”

“I saw what happened,” Bowser interrupted, unfazed. “They’ll both be fine. They can handle themselves.”

Mario narrowed his eyes.

“Not to get too deep into my parenting philosophy, but-”

Mario slapped him on the fold. “I can’t believe you!”

Bowser blinked, scrunching up. “What?”

“I can’t believe you!” Mario continued, fuming.

“Huh? Mario, what?”

“I have spent all day,” Mario balled his fists. “All day chasing around Junior, trying to keep him clean and whole and safe-”

“Whoa, is this-” Bowser’s brows creased. “Mario, you know-”

“And you let him just go fight paper mache!” Mario broke into a laugh. “I can’t believe you!”

Bowser sagged in slight relief. “Oh, you know you had fun.”

“I made him take a bath! I got him a new paint job! I fixed him from Scissor’s attack twice!” Mario sagged to the ground, still laughing. “And you just let him fight paper mache in a volcano. I hate you.”

Bowser laughed. “Bah, you had a great day! You love that kid- who wouldn’t?”

Mario grinned. “I do. His dad’s not half bad either.”

Bowser puffed up proudly. “You better believe it!”

Mario watched him, still smiling. “I still expect compensation. It’s been a journey, and not just today.”

“About that,” Bowser flushed, his typeface dotting pink. “I, uh, thought… maybe you could… move. in? With me?”

Mario stared, floored. If he could see his own lines, he’d guess he had literal stars in his eyes.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Bowser rushed on awkwardly. Maybe no stars in his lineart then. “I know it’s kind of soon-”

Mario interrupted him before he could take it back. “Are you kidding? I’ve been boxing up my stuff for weeks! Luigi built a secret basement the last time I went to stay with you!”

Bowser grinned. “Bwahaha! I don’t know why I was nervous now! Not that I was nervous, mind you. Just… you know. Junior was looking forward to, uh, seeing you more.”

Mario rolled his eyes fondly. “Sure. I do love that kid, though.”

“Yeah?” Bowser asked. Mario could hear the unspoken question, sitting alongside the delight that Mario was getting along with his son.

“I love you, too.” Mario said. “I’d give you a kiss, but you’re all face.”

Bowser laughed again, louder and bolder. 

Olivia stood to the side, bug eyed. “Hold on, WHAT?”


End file.
